Central Bureau of Statistics publishes statistics in honor of 2017 drawing to a close: Israel has population of 8,793,000; 27,000 have made Aliyah in 2017, mostly from Europe; population grew by 165,000, with 180,000 births and 44,000 deaths.

Francis Kalifat, the president-elect of the Conseil Représentatif des Institutions Juives de France (CRIF), the umbrella organization for Jewish organisations in France, condemned the magazine for questioning Israel's existence. "To say that Israel is not a 'true state' is a grave lie in the face of history ... Israel's existence is an internationally recognized truth."

Philippe’s remarks, which were unusual for his acknowledgment of the phenomenon’s depth in his country, came Sunday during a speech before approximately 700 participants in the eight annual conference of the Crif umbrella group of French Jewish communities.